The title Consul is used to describe the official representative of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the people of the country to whom he or she is accredited and the country of which he or she is a representative. Consuls further the development of commercial, economic, cultural and scientific relations between the sending State and the receiving State and otherwise promote friendly relations between them. There may be several Consuls, one in each of several main cities, providing assistance with bureaucratic issues to both the citizens of the consul's own country travelling or living abroad, and to the citizens of the country in which the Consul resides who wish to travel to or trade with the Consul's country.
 
The office of a Consul is termed a Consulate. A Consul of higher rank is termed a Consul General (CG), and his or her office a Consulate General. There are also Deputy Consuls General, Consuls (C) and Vice Consuls (VC). Consuls of various ranks may have specific legal authority for certain activities, such as notarizing documents. Aside from those outlined in the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, there are few formal requirements outlining what a consular official must do. For example, for some countries, consular officials may be responsible for the issuance of visas; other countries may limit "consular services" to providing assistance to compatriots, legalization of documents, etc. 
 
The activities of a Consulate include protecting the interests of their citizens temporarily or permanently resident in the host country, issuing passports to citizens and issuing visas to foreigners and also public diplomacy. In addition, another principal role of a Consulate has traditionally been the promotion of trade and provision of assistence to companies seeking to invest and to import and export goods and services both to their home country and to their host country.
Some Consuls are not career officials (career consul) of the represented state at all. Such a Consul (Honorary Consul) may well combine the job with his or her own (often commercial) private activities, and in some instances may not even be a citizen of the sending country. 
 

I Amsterdam

The official Amsterdam Tourist Board website provides all the information you need to plan a trip to Amsterdam.

 Amsterdam Tourism & Convention Board (ATCB)

ATCB is the organization in the field of tourism and conventions in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. Through promotion, information, research and tailor-made service, ATCB promotes tourist and business visits and hence creates a strong foundation for employment and prosperity in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area.

Stichting Amsterdam Tourist Assistance Service (ATAS)

The foundation ATAS provides free assistance to foreign tourists during their holiday in Amsterdam who have become victims of a crime.  

821.752           inhabitants

2.480.000        inhabitants Greater Amsterdam

180                   nationalities

1                       mayor

881,000           bicycles

1.000.000        trees

600,000           bulb flowers in parks and public gardens

30                     parks

227                   city trams

13                       ferryboats   

27                     markets

1                      Flower Market

5.432               shops

165                  antique shops

24                    diamond polishing factories

165                  canals

1,281               bridges

8                      wooden drawbridges

1                      Skinny Bridge

110                  glass-topped canal boats

2,500               houseboats

8,863               16th, 17th and 18th century buildings

654                  historic gable stones

1                      Royal Palace

302                  statues and sculptures

6                      windmills

51                    museums

141                  art galleries

22                    paintings of Rembrandt

1                      Night watch

206                  paintings of Van Gogh

1                      Civic Guard Gallery

140                  wax statues at Madame Tussauds

6,100               animals at the Artis Zoo

4                      barrel organs

9                      carillons

42                    historical church organs

16,000            concerts and theatrical performan�ces

40                    concerts and theatrical performances per day

55                    theatres and concert halls

1                      Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

1                      Muziektheater

61                    cinemas

1,252               cafe's and bars

36                    discotheques

1,252               restaurants

43.146            hotel beds

5                      camping sites

8,600,000        bed nights by tourists from abroad

13,800,000      day visitors